Applicator for liquid weed-killer



July 9, 1963 C. E. JONES APPLICATOR FOR LIQUID WEED-KILLER Filed 00tll, 1961 INVENTOR.

Clifford E. Jones ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,096,534 APPLICATOR FOR LIQUID WEED-KILLER Clilford E. Jones, 362 W. Main St., Peru, Ind. Filed Oct. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 144,476

' 1 Claim. (Cl. 15--244) This invention relates to weed-killer applicators of the type in which a weed killer of the 2,4,-D type'is applied in liquid form directly to the leaf surfaces of lawn weeds by a sponge saturated with the weed destroying solution.

The object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive applicator of the above Character which is easy to use, which will require no cleaning or other care after it has been used and in which the sponge member may be easily replaced when worn out.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the above indicated character which has a handle member disposed perpendicular to and at the center of an applicator head, and the bottom face of the sponge member on the head is of a size to apply the liquid weed killer to the foliage of a large dandelion or broad leaf plantain plant, so that when the device is pressed vertically downwardly on the plant there will be no likelihood of the head moving laterally and applying the weed killer to adjoining plants With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing which show the present preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved applicator;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively longitudinal and transverse sectional views, the handle member being broken away;

FIG. 4 is -a perspective view of the sponge member; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom View of the sponge backing plate.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the numeral denotes an absorbent sponge member, 11 a backing member therefor and 12 a handle having one end fixed to the center of the backing or body portion 11 of the device. The sponge element is a flat rectangular slab or block of cellulose sponge or similar absorbent material. It is preferably about 5 long, 3" wide and /2 thick so that it is of a size to cover the foliage of a large dandelion or plantain plant. In its flat and parallel side faces 13, about midway between its flat top and bottom faces, are formed flat walled longitudinal grooves or channels 14 which extend from one to the other of the flat ends 15 of the sponge.

The backing member 11 is also of flat rectangular shape and only slightly larger than the top face of the sponge. The backing is made from a single piece of sheet metal such as aluminum, copper or galvanized iron. It comprises a flat rectangular body portion or plate -16 having at its long side edges right angularly bent and downwardly extending flat parallel side walls 17 adapted to be engaged by the side walls 13 of the sponge and coextensive in length with the latter. From the lower edges of these sides 17 are bent inwardly at right angles longitudinal flanges 18 which are coextensive in length with side wall and are snugly received in the channels 14 when the sponge 10 is slid endwise into the backing plate 11 from one end of the latter, as will be understood upon reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. At one end of the backing plate 16 is a straight flat downwardly bent transversely extending end wall or flange19 which serves as a stop to limit the inwardly sliding of the sponge block between the flanged side walls 17.

3,096,534 Patented July 9, 1963 "ice The straight rod-like handle 12 is made of wood and has a flat lower end 20 disposed a plane at right angles to the axis of the handle to abut the center of the top of the backing plate 16 so that it is perpendicular to the latter. A wood screw 21 inserted in 'a central hole 22 in the plate is screwed into the end 20 to rigidly fasten the parts together.

In using the device -a weed destroying solution of the proper concentration is placed in a bucket or other liquid receptacle and the sponge is dipped into the liquid to saturate it. By means of the handle the sponge is then pressed vertically downward against the foliage of the weed to be killed so that the liquid will be applied to the foliage. The amount of liquid applied to the weed will depend upon the degree of downward pressure and the amount of liquid in the sponge. In time the sponge will wear out and may be easily slid out of the backing in a direction away from the stop 19, and then replaced by a new sponge. The tool may be effectively used for the spot application of the weed killer to individual plants since the sponge is of a size to cover the foliage of large plants, and since the handle is perpendicular to and at the center of the sponge there is no likelihood of the sponge moving laterally and applying the weed killer to adjoining plants.

It will be seen that the device is easy to use and is of very simple and inexpensive construction. There is nothing mechanical to get out of order, and after using there are no parts that need cleaning as in applicators having a pumping action or in liquid spray devices. Since liquid is applied by a saturated sponge, there will be no drift to damage other plants as is the case with spray devices.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed. a

I claim:

A tool for the spot application of a liquid weed killer to individual plants such as dandelions and plantains, having a handle member, an absorbent sponge member and a backing member connecting the sponge member to the handle member,

(A) said sponge member being a rectangular slab of spongy absorbent material having flat and parallel top and bottom faces, flat and parallel side faces and fiat and parallel end faces,

(B) the bottom face of said slab being of a size to cover not more than the foliage of a large weed plant,

(C) laterally opposed, straight walled grooves in said side faces of the slab extending continuously from one end face to the other of said slab,

(D) said backing member being formed from a onepiece, flat and generally rectangular sheet of metal and comprising (a) a body portion covering and in contact with the entire top face of said slab,

(b) a pair of fiat, straight and parallel side walls bent downwardly at right angles from the side edges of said body portion and engaged with said side faces of the slab, said side walls being coextensive in length with said slab,

(c) a pair of flat, straight flanges coextensive in length with said side Walls and bent inwardly at right angles from the lower edges of said side walls, said flanges being disposed in opposed relation and in contact with said slab,

(d) a flat straight stop flange bent downwardly at right angles from one of the ends of said body portion and engaged with one end face of said slab, and (e) said body its center,

(E) said handle member being a straight Wood rod having a fiat lower end disposed in a plane at right angles to its axis and in contact With the top of said body portion of said backing member over said hole,

(F) a Wood screw in said hole andthreaded into said end of the handle rod to fasten the latter in a position perpendicular to the body portion of said backing member,

(G) the grooves in said slab being of a size to snugly receive said flanges, whereby, when said slab is slid portion having a hole disposed at into said backing member until it engages said stop flange, the slab Will be frictionally held against displacement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 180,355 Blackburn May 28, 1957 2,449,281 Dalton Sept. 14, 1948 2,540,768 Vaughn Feb. 6, 1951 2,712,143 Palma et a1. July 5, 1955 3,012,265 Courtney Dec. 12, 1961 3,037,229 Anderson June 5, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 166,549 Australia Jan. 16, 1956 937,398 France Mar. 8, 1948 

